The day after Thanksgiving, a line of "Star Wars" fans, two-blocks long, waited for the Moscone Center's doors to open. This was not because of a Black Friday special, but Fan Expo San Francisco. The convention draws people into comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming. Fans were eager to see “Star Wars’” Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill, who opened and headlined this year’s convention.
An estimated 35,000 attendees came from the Bay Area and beyond for what Fan Expo officials are calling the “Geeksgiving” weekend. The schedule of activities included buying works from comic book artists, attending panels, competing in cosplay contests and meeting stars. A photo with Hamill, who was born in Oakland, started at nearly $400. Hamill is also beloved for voicing the Joker in “Batman” animated shows, films and video games. Those who didn’t meet Hamill in person had the opportunity to see him speak on stage Friday night about his long career, and answer fan questions submitted online.
“Mark Hamill is a huge achievement because he hasn’t done a show in seven years,” said Andrew Moyes, vice president of Fan Expo.
Other big-name celebrities at Fan Expo San Francisco included “Star Wars” actors Ewan McGregor and Ashley Eckstein. “Star Trek” captains William Shatner and Sonequa Martin-Green beamed down. “Lord of the Rings” Hobbits actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd also made appearances.
"It's also really rare to get all four Hobbits together,” said Moyes. “To get all this wonderful talent in the building together is huge for us.”
This is Fan Expo’s second consecutive year in San Francisco. The city hasn’t hosted such a convention of this magnitude since WonderCon moved south to Anaheim in 2012. Other event companies tried after WonderCon’s departure, but didn’t sustain.
“We saw the gap," Moyes said. "Obviously San Francisco is an amazing city so we jumped at the opportunity.”
Fan Expo San Francisco is returning next year on Thanksgiving weekend.
Moyes said, “We want [“Geeksgiving”] to be a new tradition for our fans and community in San Francisco.”
Tickets for the 2024 convention are currently on sale.
